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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24038839">Sweet Memories the Sick Girl Had of Her Nurse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeloz_mkII/pseuds/Zeloz_mkII'>Zeloz_mkII</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SeaBed (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Lesbian Relationship, Day At The Beach, F/F, Hot Springs &amp; Onsen, Implied Sexual Content, Memory Related, National Nurses Day, One Shot, POV Female Character, Post-Canon, Romantic Fluff, Sexual Content, Yuri, wlw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:47:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,679</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24038839</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeloz_mkII/pseuds/Zeloz_mkII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A yuri fluff piece written in celebration of National Nurses Day 2020, about the kind nurse of Kunugihara Sanatorium, from the perspective of the patient who loves her dearly.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Takako (SeaBed)/Mayuko Koma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sweet Memories the Sick Girl Had of Her Nurse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy National Nurses Day! Or, at least that's one of the holidays here in the States being held today, on the 6th of May, 2020. I think it's also Tourist Appreciation Day or something. Maybe I'll write a SachiNana one shot next year, I dunno.</p>
<p>Anyway, I wanted to do something to celebrate one of my favorite characters in SeaBed today. And since I'm not good at arting, I decided to instead spend a whole night typing up a post-canon short story wherein Takako up and asks Mayuko on a date. There's a lot of talking, not a lot of plot, and maybe a bit more lewd than the source material. No, definitely more lewd, but nothing explicit.</p>
<p>Since this is all post-canon, of course they'll probably be spoilers for SeaBed. Please read SeaBed. It's so good.</p>
<p>(Small Disclaimer: I didn't come up with "Bakako." You can thank BenjaminHerder (@MagusVerborum) and the rest of the SeaBed fandom for that one. Please read SeaBed)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“A D-D-<em>Date</em>?”</p>
<p>Mayuko looked positively flustered when I had asked her one morning, right as we were finishing cleanup from that morning's breakfast. She had reacted so suddenly, fumbling with the pile of dirty plates in her hands, that I was afraid she would fall along with the dishes</p>
<p>“Well, um...”</p>
<p>I thought for a moment as I mumbled. I wanted to say something along the lines of “what's so surprising? We're lovers, aren't we?” After all, it's not like I hadn't confessed my romantic feelings for her before, and back then she had accepted them without judgment. As Narasaki and I had expected, she had felt the same way about me.</p>
<p>On the other hand, just bringing up the subject seemed to be enough to fluster her. Moreover, she was holding dishes and  seemed to be shocked out of balance, so I felt I had to choose my next words carefully. Or at least wait until she gave me the dishes to wash.</p>
<p>“It's been nice these last few days. I just thought, y'know, since you're doing so much for us here at the sanatorium that, well, you could... like, use a day off or something.”</p>
<p>“A... an entire day?”</p>
<p>“Hey, at least bring the dishes here before you fall over!”</p>
<p>I ran from the sink to help steady Mayuko's grip on the dishes. The assortment of plates and bowls were stacked neatly, though precariously, in her hands. It was the collective result of a small breakfast had by the five of us living at the clinic, a breakfast she had prepared by herself. Seeing Mayuko carry so many plates at once was a sight I was quite familiar with now, but I still couldn't help but feel a little awed by her usual willingness to take on so much at once.</p>
<p>“Takako, thank you, but I'm okay! I've got a handle on it. It's not a lot, really.”</p>
<p>“Well, at least let me take half of those, for my sake at least. You're shaking so much with them, you're scaring me.”</p>
<p>Mayuko sighed and grimaced, as though I was adding more weight to her burden. Ignoring that for the moment, I made sure the smaller plates and bowls made it to the sink safely while Mayuko carefully lowered her dishes next to the sink. With the water still running, I finished up the last of the utensils before moving on to the small plates and noticed Mayuko standing next to me, looking somewhat expectant, still blushing. I sighed.</p>
<p>“I don't have to spell it out, do I? I didn't think it was a particularly odd question.”</p>
<p>“Well, no, but,” Mayuko looked down at her fidgeting hands, “I mean, you can't just ask your head nurse on something like a <em>date</em>. It's... well, it's <em>weird</em>.”</p>
<p>I frowned. “What's so weird about it? You really are the hardest worker out of all of us, doing the bulk of the gardening and the grocery shopping and all that. Not to mention the slave driv- I mean 'delegating'... hey, hey, it was a joke!”</p>
<p>“Takako! You know exactly what I'm asking about.” She glared, still quite red in the face. “The word 'date' has very specific connotations.”</p>
<p>“I know that. The connotations apply to a couple like us just fine, I think.”</p>
<p>“C-C-<em>couple</em>? Takako, not so loud!” Mayuko whispered fiercely.</p>
<p>“But it's not like it's a secret, remember? Narasaki, your own boss technically, is fine with it. And it's not like Sanae and Kozue don't know I've been spending so much time in the night duty room with you.”</p>
<p>“Still, it's... I mean, it's not <em>professional</em>. I mean, I'm your <em>caretaker</em> for goodness sake.”</p>
<p>I nodded in agreement, “Yes, and a fine one. The way we hold each other during the night, and the way we kiss in the morning, I haven't felt this cared for since living with my last girlfriend.”</p>
<p>“<em>Takako</em>, you really have no shame, do you?”</p>
<p>“What's the point of it?” I shrugged, “I mean, even though we're lovers, it's not like you treat me any differently from the other patients. If anything, you've been even more strict with me since, y'know, when we made it official.”</p>
<p>And that was no joke. Ever since confessing our feelings for each other, she's been less tolerant of skipping my daily journaling and of half-done chores. No longer content with bargaining with me with promises of sweets and massages, she's gone as far as to ban me from the kitchen and night duty room for weeks at a time for minor infractions. This only made me value my time with her even more than ever, though, and sometimes I wondered if that was the whole point.</p>
<p>“You really are a talented caretaker, Mayuko, no joke. I'm not just saying that out of love or infatuation.”</p>
<p>Mayuko's pout slowly curved up into a small smile. Her face looked heart-meltingly cute as a sort of personal pride seemed to bleed into her demeanor.</p>
<p>“Well, you're all very important to me, and I love all of you a lot. I really just want to be the best nurse I can be for the clinic, and for the family I have here.”</p>
<p>“Well, the best we can do is the best we can do,” I said in a sing-song voice, “And you're the best at doing your best, I think.”</p>
<p>Mayuko chuckled. “Uh, thanks, I guess.”</p>
<p>I continued to wash the dishes, letting the running water and cling-clang of dishes in the stainless steel sink fill the air. As I worked my way to the larger plates, I felt something press into my right shoulder and something else wrap around the arm underneath. Looking to my side, I could see the top of Mayuko's head as she leaned onto me.</p>
<p>“You tired?”</p>
<p>“Mm, a little bit. Wouldn't be so tired if you woke up when I did so you could help me with breakfast.”</p>
<p>“Sleeping with you makes it hard to wake up sometimes. You're like a big, soft, warm pillow.”</p>
<p>Mayuko lightly bopped me on the head, “No boob jokes please. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't grope me so much, now that you mention it.”</p>
<p>“I wasn't talking about <em>those</em>, lovely as they are. Your hair and arms and all of your other parts are pretty soft, too.”</p>
<p>I leaned my head on Mayuko's. Her black hair still smelled faintly of strawberry shampoo.</p>
<p>“So, Takako, when exactly did you wanna go on that date?”</p>
<p>“Later today? Noon, maybe?”</p>
<p>“S-so soon?” I felt Mayuko sink a little, “Am I supposed to just assume Narasaki's fine with me and you being away all day? And everyone else?”</p>
<p>“Narasaki's the one who suggested it, during my last session with her. Sanae will be fine in the library by herself, and Kozue... well, she'll likely be doing Kozue things somewhere.”</p>
<p>“She spends most of her time in the library.”</p>
<p>“Well, there ya go. Not like I keep tabs on the kid.”</p>
<p>“Hm, well maybe I wanted to get some gardening done today.”</p>
<p>“We did that yesterday. Though, I guess if you don't <em>really</em> want to spend time with me, I'd understand. Sob sob.”</p>
<p>“Don't 'sob sob' me. Haven't I already told you how silly you sound when you do that?” Mayuko softly punched my shoulder, “If you wanna go out today, do me a favor and have the second and third floor hallways cleaned off at least. I need to speak with Narasaki about leaving with you, to see what kind of help she may need in preparing lunch and such.”</p>
<p>“Aww, can't I get in a nap before doing the floors?”</p>
<p>“That won't do if you wanna leave by noon. And don't give me that look,” Mayuko returned my pout, “Listen, it's about a quarter after nine now. If we get done soon enough, we may be able to relax with a bath before heading out.”</p>
<p>My pulse quickened at the thought. It's not like there was anything inherently erotic about taking baths with Mayuko; we did it all the time. Bathing, I mean. But she did give really good back scrubs. And it's not like I didn't like seeing her naked. I focused on getting through the dishes faster, though the building suds gave me other distracting, slightly perverted thoughts I didn't think I'd be dealing with at this time of day.</p>
<p>“Takako, if you really want to take a nap, though, I'm fine with it. We'll just have to leave a little later, is all.”</p>
<p>I shook my head. “N-no no, the dishes and floors won't take long. I think I can hold out a little longer if there's the promise of bath suds- I mean, 'back scrubs'! Hey!"</p>
<p>Mayuko snorted and gave me a shove. Her shoulders shook with barely-contained laughter.</p>
<p>“Takako, you weirdo! I'll leave you to it, then. If you need anything, I'll likely be somewhere on the first floor all day. Oh, and... um, before I forget.”</p>
<p>“Hm-”</p>
<p>Before I could ask, I felt lips on my cheek for a split second. A slight twitch ran down my spine as my body registered the bit of warm moisture as something from Mayuko.</p>
<p>When I turned, though, she was already leaving the kitchen area. She stood for a moment in the portal that led into the adjacent hallway and smirked.</p>
<p>“Oh, I'll be expecting a lovely back scrub from you, too. Since you love and appreciate me so much~”</p>
<p>The plate in my hand slipped out and clattered to the bottom of the sink, thankfully unharmed. I breathed a sigh of relief, then took a few more deep breaths to slow my racing heart a bit. There was no denying the high, almost lethal potency of Mayuko's random acts of affection.</p><hr/>
<p>In the end, Narasaki, Sanae, and Kozue had all decided to have their baths at the same time as us, so I didn't bring up the whole back-scrubbing deal we had worked out earlier. And it was just as well, since trying to scrub the floors at a faster-than-normal speed left me running into walls, slipping on the floor, and busting up every joint and limb. Rather than a back scrub, Mayuko gave me a conciliatory back rub as I silently soaked myself in the indoor bath's healing waters. Kozue, of course, found it infinitely amusing that a “self-proclaimed” master of floor cleaning such as myself could become so thoroughly hurt in the line of duty, but I didn't have the stamina to protest. The pains reminded me of bygone days of having to clean classrooms and hallways at school, absentmindedly hurting myself trying to rush while distracted by thoughts of a certain bookish schoolgirl who would always wait for me to finish cleaning duty so we could walk home together.</p>
<p>Sanae kinda looked like how schoolgirl Sachiko looked then, I idly noted to myself as I looked at the sanatorium librarian from across the bath. Like this, without her glasses. It was still a little weird seeing Sanae bathing with us, even though she had been with increasing regularity lately. This was the same patient who used to be so socially withdrawn a few years ago, she'd never leave her room.</p>
<p>“Takako, when are you and Mayuko going out?” Sanae asked me.</p>
<p>“Right after we get dressed, I imagine,” Mayuko, next to me, answered, “I don't imagine we'll be gone long, though how long we take all depends on what Takako has planned.”</p>
<p>I, of course, didn't have anything planned. Or, at least I didn't when I had first asked her that morning. Many of my thoughts between then and now focused on just trying to remember what exactly there was to do at the seaside city below that we hadn't already done during our shopping trips. It's not like I wasn't used to taking the lead without a clear plan in mind; Sachi would probably tell anyone that was my <em>modus operandi</em>, the way I'd just drag her anywhere that looked fun. The challenge now, though, was just finding the fun in a place I'd grown used to in these several years of living here.</p>
<p>“Wait, didn't you and Doctor Narasaki go out grocery shopping just the other day?” Kozue asked, twisting her small face into a look of suspicious confusion, “What, you two aren't dating or anything, are you?”</p>
<p>“Um, ah, well-”</p>
<p>“Essentially.”</p>
<p>Everyone turned their heads to Narasaki, who so casually interrupted a stuttering Mayuko with the truth of the matter. I gave the doctor a quiet scowl, but I wasn't surprised. Hibiki Narasaki, ever the straight-shooter. She was definitely a born doctor and a clinical woman, right down to the dry way she handled matters like this.</p>
<p>“Aww, that's romantic!” Sanae cooed.</p>
<p>“Are... are you serious?” Kozue looked decidedly less thrilled, “Miss Mayuko, r-really?”</p>
<p>“Eh. Ah. Um. I. Well.”</p>
<p>“Nothing wrong with that, of course,” Narasaki continued coolly, “Given how similar Mayuko is to Sachiko, Takako's last significant other, a working relationship like this was bound to form sooner or later.”</p>
<p>Hey now, should you really be talking about your old clients like that, Narasaki? This feels like a breach of some sort of standard of care here.</p>
<p>“Well, I guess that <em>would </em>explain some things.”</p>
<p>“Such as what, Kozue?”</p>
<p>“I'm sure you've noticed too, Sanae. The way Mayuko seems to tolerate <em>Bakako's</em> constant <em>baka</em>-ish-ness.”</p>
<p>And of course she'd start with that endearing nickname she made up for me. Thankfully, it hadn't caught on with anyone else yet, but she seemed dead-set on making it stick.</p>
<p>“Hm, you've got a point there I think.”</p>
<p>D-don't just nod sagely at that, Sanae! I thought we were friends! Book buddies! Sanatorium sisters?</p>
<p>“But you know,” Sanae continued, “I think that's what makes it so romantic. Takako acts dominant and like a leader, but she's really reliant on Mayuko's gentle guidance to get things done. It reminds me of a girls love romance series I read before, where a sheltered rich girl falls in love with a motherly commoner classmate who constantly argues with her about her antisocial behavior. The commoner classmate realizes her own dedication to her spoiled classmate is out of love and, after being given medicine by the spoiled classmate when she fell ill, the two become an inseparable, lovey-dovey couple.”</p>
<p>Though her words were ultimately positive, I did not approve of this insinuation that I was a spoiled, rich, antisocial, or stupid.</p>
<p>“Hm, Takako?”</p>
<p>Mayuko looked up from shyly staring at the water in front of her as I got up and headed for the stools and shower heads.</p>
<p>“Mm, feeling a bit dehydrated,” I mumbled half-truthfully, turning on the shower and gritting my teeth through the initial spray of too-hot water, “Ow, shit.”</p>
<p>“H-here, I'm getting out too,” Mayuko quickly took a seat next to me and reached for her own bucket of soapwater, “You know, I guess since you weren't getting out and sliding back in like you usually do, you got dehydrated.”</p>
<p>I chuckled a bit at her mentioning my patented method of being able to stay in the bath for longer than normal. In reality, though, I wasn't in the mood for more discussion on the nature of my relationship with Mayuko. It suddenly occurred to me why Mayuko would want to keep all of this a secret in the first place, other than for reasons of professional conduct.</p>
<p>Behind us, I heard Narasaki change the subject to something regarding what the other two wanted to have for lunch after the bath. I tried not to look too irate and physically pained as Mayuko and I scrubbed down and got dressed. Mayuko didn't say much of anything either between then and when we got into her car to drive into town, though I wondered if that was because she was concerned for me or still flustered from the exchange.</p><hr/>
<p>“I'm sorry if that conversation made you feel uncomfortable.”</p>
<p>I finally spoke up as the car approached the first few buildings at the edge of town. The afternoon summer sun was high in the sky, rays unburdened by cloud cover, giving the town a vibrant, sharp-colored look. I felt a little relieved at the lively look of the town in summer, coupled with the gentle early summertime warmth that seemed to seep into the core of a person.</p>
<p>“Honestly, it looked like you were feeling more uncomfortable than me,” Mayuko chuckled, “I was just taken aback at how casually Narasaki acted when she kinda just laid it bare like that.”</p>
<p>“That's Narasaki for ya. As long as I've known her, she's never been one to mince words. Even if the words she refused to mince don't quite make a lot of sense when she says them.”</p>
<p>“Do what now?” Mayuko, wearing a sunhat and a classy pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses briefly turned to me with a confused frown before turning back to the road, “Oh wait, Narasaki's an old friend of yours and Sachiko's, huh? I seem to remember you mentioning that once.”</p>
<p>“In a sense. She wasn't a constant presence in our lives, but I do kinda remember her when we were kids, and once when I was living with Sachi. She's just kinda... bookended my life with Sachi, I think. I've only just started to remember her, vaguely, since she's moved in with us.”</p>
<p>“You don't suppose you've lost memories of her, do you?”</p>
<p>“I must have. I feel like I ought to have known her as well as Sachi, but... I dunno, now it's just this vague feeling of knowing she was in our lives at two vague points in our lives.”</p>
<p>“Sounds pretty vague,” Mayuko said vaguely. I nodded without certainty.</p>
<p>“I like her now, though. Since we've more or less settled on how to divide up responsibilities regarding the running of the clinic, I've come to realize how much of a help she's been. Especially with regards to record keeping and medical interventions and journals and such. It's given me a lot more time to focus on chores and doing rounds, you know?”</p>
<p>I nodded in agreement. The weekly counseling sessions with Narasaki were always interesting. She seemed to know so much about me and Sachiko, I quite frankly found it hard to believe we three were only good friends when we were little kids, and once more when my time with Sachiko came to an end.</p>
<p>“Takako, did you have any place in mind for our, um, date?”</p>
<p>“Hm? Oh, uh...” I scanned the town around us for anything that looked vaguely interesting, “Are you hungry?”</p>
<p>“I'm a little peckish, yeah. Nothing too fancy, though, since we're still having to work within the sanatorium's budget.”</p>
<p>“Hah, Mayuko, you know me. I'm not really one for fancy. Here, I think I saw a family restaurant over down that way.”</p>
<p>I pointed to a kitschy-looking building with a sizable parking lot near the shopping arcade. While this was probably one of their busiest hours of the day, the parking lot looked only half-full. We parked and stepped out, myself in white jeans and a salmon cardigan with white tanktop, Mayuko in a sexy black sun dress with white roses printed on it. I suddenly felt the need to have my own pair of sunglasses, if only because it'd make the both of us look powerful and sophisticated. Probably. Like a celebrity couple from America or something.</p>
<p>“Takako, please don't stare at me like that,” Mayuko turned away, a slight blush on her face, “You're making me feel awkward.”</p>
<p>“Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I just got distracted at how sexy my girlfriend looked.”</p>
<p>Mayuko punched my shoulder in a less-than-gentle manner before slipping her arm underneath it.</p>
<p>“You're not helping, you jerk. C'mon.”</p>
<p>I winced, still not quite over the aches from earlier that day, yet undeterred in my desire to lead the way. Holding Mayuko's soft arm close, we stepped inside the restaurant and immediately felt the cool of the air-conditioned building and the scent of a seafood mélange being served at all tables. I hadn't even seen the name of the restaurant, yet it felt only natural that a family restaurant in a seaside town would specialize in fish. I idly wondered if much of the stuff people were eating here was, 24 hours ago, swimming happily in the sea.</p>
<p>Once we got to our tables, I ordered a plate of squid ink spaghetti, while Mayuko ordered a plate of Maryland-style crab cakes. The synth-laden jazz stylings of either Casiopea or T-Square played faintly in the background, giving the place a very “summer getaway” ambiance.</p>
<p>“Spaghetti? That sounds like a lot of carbs, Takako,” Mayuko frowned, once again disapproving of my dietary choices.</p>
<p>“Hey, you're getting a plate of fried crab bits. You're certainly one to lecture me on what's healthy and what's not.”</p>
<p>“Well... I <em>am </em>still your nurse, but... argh, okay, <em>fine</em>,” Mayuko relented with a sigh, “Just, don't tell Narasaki about this.”</p>
<p>“I really don't think Narasaki would care. Have you seen how much coffee that woman drinks? She's quite a fan of cakes, too.”</p>
<p>“Oh ha. Pretty rich hearing <em>you</em>, of all people, complain about someone else eating too many sweets.” Mayuko gave a scornful smile.</p>
<p>“And how many times do I have to tell you, my body's unique metabolism burns right through that sugar before any of it can get to my hips?” I shot back, “Really, if I don't have a constant intake of sugar, I'd develop severe narcolepsy in a matter of days. You wouldn't want to see me falling asleep in the halls or in the bath or whatever.”</p>
<p>“Mm, I don't remember seeing that in your medical records. If Narasaki can't corroborate your story, though, she might let me start you on a vinegar-heavy diet. That'll wake you right up, I'm sure.”</p>
<p>I grimaced at the thought of nothing but pickled radish and ginger for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It seemed cruel, sure, but the way Mayuko pushed her pro-vegetables-dipped-in-vinegar agenda, I wouldn't put it past her.</p>
<p>“You're a cruel mistress.”</p>
<p>“And you're too much of a picky eater.”</p>
<p>“Picky eaters are the reason the human race has survived up to this long, with their ability to detect good food from incredibly lethal toxins.”</p>
<p>“It's not like I'm trying to force rotten meat down your throat, Takako. I'd just appreciate it if you'd eat the vegetables I work so hard to grow every once in a while.”</p>
<p>“Its not the vegetables I have a problem with, it's the <em>vinegarization</em> of them.”</p>
<p>“Ta-ka-ko~” Mayuko, her sunglasses removed, leaned over and stared up at me pleadingly, “How can you say you love a woman when you won't even eat her vegetables?”</p>
<p>I closed my eyes and frowned. It wasn't so much her stare, beguiling as it was, that I was afraid of; her cleavage seductively peeking out from her dress would be enough to make the blood vessels in both my nostrils explode violently.</p>
<p>Unable to come up with a suitable response, I tried unsuccessfully to shift the topic to other matters until our food arrived. Once we were done, we left the restaurant arm-in-arm and made our way to the shopping arcade.</p>
<p>I remembered Narasaki mentioning this place as a frequent hangout for her. She had recommended a ship-themed cafe somewhere around here, and she'd once bought Sanae her tabletop role-playing game at a hobbyist shop somewhere around here as well. Mayuko wasn't in the mood for coffee, though, and the way Narasaki described the hobbyist shop made me think it wasn't quite the sort of thing Mayuko would be interested in, so we settled instead for window-shopping at some of the summerwear and seashell jewelry shops that seemed more designed for tourists than locals. Though, living outside of the town, we were practically tourists anyway.</p>
<p>As Mayuko browsed through racks of tie-dyed sun dresses, I wandered over to where the intimates were, taking mental note of some of the similarly tie-dyed bikinis, as well as something else I felt Mayuko might like.</p>
<p>“Hey, Mayuko,” I called from a few racks down, “You didn't happen to bring swimwear with you, did you?”</p><hr/>
<p>It was probably close to three hours since leaving the sanatorium when we made our way to the beach, the sun reaching peak hotness for the day. The sand seared the soles of my feet when I tried stepping out of my sandals, so I quickly put them on.</p>
<p>“Hey, Takako,” Mayuko called out from behind me, “Come over here so I can rub some suntan oil on you. I don't want you getting sunburnt out here.”</p>
<p>I turned to Mayuko, in her white two-piece with blue-stained pattering over it. It wasn't as seductive as her usual frilly, violet two-piece, but it was a look she pulled off with no trouble anyway. At least, I felt she looked better than I in my similarly-patterned two-piece (though mine was green-stained), though I knew Mayuko would disagree if I told her so.</p>
<p>“Where do you want me to sit? If I sit on the sand, my ass is liable to burn into one big blister.”</p>
<p>“Who's asking you to sit, dummy? This stuff sprays on, so just stand there and let me spray you. You're gonna want to close your eyes and your mouth, though. There, just hold out your arms and hold still while I-”</p>
<p>I did what I was told and let the cool, oily spray of sunblock adhere to my skin. Once both my arms and legs were thoroughly covered, Mayuko sprayed down my front and back in a matter of seconds.</p>
<p>“Alright, you're good.”</p>
<p>“That's it? You're not going to rub it or anything?”</p>
<p>“The can says you don't have to, but I guess you can if you want, sure.”</p>
<p>“I mean my back,” I protested, pointing to my back.</p>
<p>“Geez, Takako, you can be such a child sometimes. Here.”</p>
<p>I heard Mayuko quickly spray herself down before feeling two hands wrap around the back of my neck and shoulders. With the touch of a master masseuse, her fingers kneaded into the upper joint pains I had forgotten I had, pressing them and just about every tense muscle in my upper body into sweet submission. I barely managed to keep in a string of erotic moans and sighs, not wanting to give Mayuko the wrong idea.</p>
<p>“For someone who's supposedly enjoying herself, you're really knotted up and tense up here.”</p>
<p>“M-Mayuko, do you really have to whisper in my ear like that? You know that kinda... hits me... a certain way.”</p>
<p>“Considering the other stuff you bought at that one store, I highly doubt you've had the most chaste of intentions during this trip.”</p>
<p>“Urk. Th-that's for <em>later</em>, though.”</p>
<p>“Mhm, I'm sure it is.” Mayuko chuckled, her fingers kneading deeper into my shoulder muscles, her breath feeling hot on my neck. Part of me wanted to ask Mayuko to stop so we could get to swimming already, but a larger part of me felt like having her stop was akin to being pulled off of life support.</p>
<p>“Kinda... kinda wished we bought bigger towels,” I mumbled dreamily, “Wouldn't mind a full-body massage if we had something to lie down on.”</p>
<p>“Well, consider this as repayment for earlier today. You know, since I wasn't able to give you that back scrubbing you asked for.”</p>
<p>“Ah hah, so then does that mean I have to give you a back rub too?”</p>
<p>“Obviously.”</p>
<p>“But I'm not as good at this as you.”</p>
<p>“So? As long as it's coming from you, I know it'll be good.”</p>
<p>“And what- ow, too hard!”</p>
<p>“Oh, sorry!”</p>
<p>“Owww... wait, wh-what makes you think my massages are good?”</p>
<p>“Well, I think as long as it comes from someone you love, it has to be good, right?”</p>
<p>“Is that why you're so good at this?”</p>
<p>“Naturally. Physical therapy training also helped, admittedly, but it's mostly out of love for my dearest patient. Okay, there.”</p>
<p>Mayuko softly pat the shoulder she had pinched a little too hard, making sure it didn't hurt anymore. I turned around to see her smiling with an air of self-satisfaction.</p>
<p>“What? I could tell if I kept going, you would've fallen to bits, rendered motionless by having all your muscles relaxed.”</p>
<p>“No way. My legs still ache too much for that,” I protested.</p>
<p>“Well, mine do too, but I guess we're just gonna have to live with it. Now then, if you'd be so kind as to return the favor~”</p><hr/>
<p>My sense of time must've been off by a few hours, because it felt like only a couple before the sun started nearing the horizon, bathing everything in a purplish hue. My aching joints flared back up as exhaustion set in, and I was forced to finally adapt to the heat of the sand as I helplessly let myself sit on the now somewhat cooler beach. In a bit of a rare reversal for us, Mayuko didn't look half-tired once I called it quits, and gave me a disappointed pout when I refused another game of splash tag.</p>
<p>“Aren't you at least hungry?” I sighed, wavering slightly. Mayuko plopped down beside me and held me steady.</p>
<p>“A bit, yeah. You look like you're about to fall asleep, though.”</p>
<p>“Nah, I'm hurting too much to sleep.”</p>
<p>“I can give you another back massage, if you think that'll help?”</p>
<p>“Maybe a little, but I really think I've hit my limit for the day.”</p>
<p>“<em>Takako</em>, you're supposed to be the energetic go-getter of the relationship. Don't tell me you're already ready to pack it in.”</p>
<p>“I'm afraid I'm getting fragile in my old age. Oh, it's not easy being 30...”</p>
<p>“We're the same age, you dummy.”</p>
<p>“Well, I guess I've just lived a fuller life than you, young'un.”</p>
<p>“I'm gonna hit you. I don't like how you're insinuating I've fallen for an old lady.”</p>
<p>"It's only appropriate that an old maid, dissatisfied by the beaus of the world, would find comfort in a fellow old mai- ow!"</p>
<p>Despite the sharp pain in my shoulder I looked at Mayuko and leaned back in mock terror. She didn't seem the least bit amused by my antics.</p>
<p>“Since when has my gentle, loving caretaker become this violent tyrant?”</p>
<p>“Psh, don't even give me that. You've called me a tyrant just for asking you to do chores around the clinic.”</p>
<p>She leaned in to give me a shove. Unable to withstand the abuse, and using the last of my stamina, I quickly moved out of the way, grabbing her arm and pulling her on top of me. With my other arm, and the last of the stamina I had in reserve, I pressed her body up to mine and brought my lips to her mouth and silenced her squealing giggles.</p>
<p>Our lips met, and for a moment time seemed to slow. Taking in the faint scent of her breath and sweat-covered body, I pressed her closer to me, our mouths complete contact. Our tongues touched for a moment, then after a brief separation for a sharp intake of breath, they entwined again. The slightly sweet, slightly salty, slightly crabby taste of her saliva sent shivers down my spine. I could feel my chest tightening and my nipples getting hard, and I could feel through Mayuko's top hers doing the same before a hand on my chest pushed me away.</p>
<p>“Takako,” Mayuko gasped, eyelids half-opened, “Maybe we... we should probably head back home first.”</p>
<p>My entire body felt hot and numb, as though every inch of my body was somehow blushing, yet I managed to give a nod of agreement. Any longer in the sand, and I felt getting sand in my bikini bottoms would be an uncomfortable inevitability.</p><hr/>
<p>A quick shower and a quiet drive later, we got back to the sanatorium just in time for dinner. Sanae and Kozue had managed to make a dinner of smoked fish, rice, and soup that hit my hunger-ached stomach so well, I couldn't bring myself to make up any clever riffs on Kozue's cooking and just flat-out admitted the food was delicious and that the little icy-haired deviant had outdone herself (though Sanae's involvement would've made targeting my criticism difficult anyway).</p>
<p>“I assume your date went pretty well. You seem to be in such an unusually good mood,” Kozue commented.</p>
<p>“Well, it did, but we're also just really tired. Takako, even moreso than I.”</p>
<p>“What all did you do?”</p>
<p>From across the table, I could see Sanae's eyes glimmer with a hungry curiosity that she usually reserved for ghost stories, or stories about my past travels with Sachiko.</p>
<p>“Well, we bought some clothes, went out to eat at a nice seafood restaurant,” Mayuko recounted, “Narasaki, we saw that cafe you like to visit, but we didn't go in. It looked really cute, though, with its boat-shaped exterior. Um, what else... we went to the beach and swam for half the time we were out.”</p>
<p>Kozue frowned. “If you two were going to spend that much time at the beach, you really should've taken the rest of us. I wouldn't mind visiting this time of year.”</p>
<p>“Don't worry, we've still got the rest of the summer to plan out something like that,” Narasaki said reassuringly.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it was a bit of an impromptu thing, honestly. We were shopping for clothes, and Takako found a cute set of matching bikinis for a good price, then asked if we could just hang out at the beach. Had I known we were going to do that from the beginning, we would've just brought our swimwear.”</p>
<p>“<em>Bakako</em>, you're awfully quiet over there. You didn't do anything shameful or perverted to Mayuko while you two were out, did you?”</p>
<p>“K-Kozue!”</p>
<p>“Wh-what?”</p>
<p>Mayuko coughed and Sanae nearly spit out her drink, both of their faces turning beet red. Narasaki simply raised an eyebrow at the spirited youth.</p>
<p>“You're a little young to be asking stuff like that, aren't you?” I sighed, not taking my eyes off my food.</p>
<p>“Most days, I act more like an adult than you do, despite you being twice my age,” Kozue said.</p>
<p>“That's the problem with you kids these days. No respect for your elders.”</p>
<p>“Wow, <em>Bakako</em>. I'm impressed. For once, you're acting like the old lady you are.”</p>
<p>“Don't 'old lady' me. Mayuko's the same age as me, and Narasaki and Sanae are pretty close to my age as well.”</p>
<p>At that, Mayuko looked to me with a furrowed brow.</p>
<p>“Takako, please don't bring my age into this. It's not some weapon you can just swing around in debates like this.”</p>
<p>“I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you assuming my age either, Takako,” Narasaki gave me a disapproving side-eye, “And besides, I'd advise against conflating emotional maturity with physical maturity. It's a troubling stereotype as is.”</p>
<p>I glanced over to Sanae, who said nothing but looked a little uncomfortably to me, as if to say “please don't bring me into this either.” Beside her, Kozue smirked devilishly. There really was no winning against this kid with everyone being as traitorous as they were. I could do nothing but sulk and continue to eat my food, unwilling to spend any more stamina on this lost cause.</p><hr/>
<p>After dinner, Mayuko and I started collecting plates and getting ready to clean the dishes, but Narasaki insisted she and Sanae would handle cleaning duties for the night. The clock in the lobby struck 9 times when we started to leave the dining area, a good half-hour after Kozue had decided to head back to her room. Once she made sure Narasaki and Sanae had the dishes and cleanup under control, Mayuko grabbed a gift bag we had gotten from one of the clothing stores and led me by the arm to the night duty room. Wracked with exhaustion, I followed her mindlessly and unsteadily into the comfy, Japanese-style room.</p>
<p>“Ta-ka-ko~” Mayuko called softly to me as she slid the night duty room door shut, “Could you fold up the table and lay out the futon? I'm going to go ahead and get changed. You can go ahead and change in the bathroom once I'm done, okay?”</p>
<p>I felt my pulse quicken and wakefulness slowly enter my body as Mayuko made her way to the adjacent bathroom, leaving me to prepare the honeymoon suite. I chuckled breathlessly to myself as I thought about referring to our usual, plain sleeping setup as any sort of <em>suite</em>, but honestly Mayuko could make the most run-down or haunted of sleeping places a place of luxury, so long as she was there to make it warm and cozy.</p>
<p>Driven by an intense tightening in my chest at these thoughts, I pushed myself up and shambled over to the nearby closet to take out a futon. Briefly, I thought about perhaps bringing the other futon out just in case... I dunno, <em>something</em> were to happen to the futon we would be sharing, but I took a glance at the table I still had to fold up and figured there wasn't any need to make more work for me than I already had. With a desperate battle between fatigue and libido waging in me, I laid out a futon as neatly as possible, then folded up the wooden table.</p>
<p>“Are you done, Takako?” I heard Mayuko call from beyond the partition right as I shut the wooden table into the closet.</p>
<p>“Yes ma'am.”</p>
<p>“Okay then...” There was a pause, and a sharp inhale, then, “Okay. I'm coming out now.”</p>
<p>“I'm ready for you.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Um, but don't, like, look directly at me, okay? This still feels kinda embarrassing to me, and, I mean... if you were to start gawking at me or something, I'd-”</p>
<p>I sighed, “How about if I just turn my head away, and you just hand me mine so I can change. Then when I'm ready, we can both see how we look.”</p>
<p>“I guess we could do that.”</p>
<p>I couldn't tell why Mayuko was acting so awkward all of the sudden. This certainly wasn't the first time we had been intimate with each other before, and it seemed unlikely to me that she hadn't had <em>any</em> sort of experience before meeting me. She was a lovely woman, inside and out. Surely she must've had one or two lovers in her past, thought that stuff wasn't something I wanted to pry into if she didn't feel like sharing.</p>
<p>Though, honestly, I felt like I'd already know the answer if I were to directly ask her about about something like that, all things considered.</p>
<p>“Oh, I just remembered,” Mayuko called out, “Takako, you didn't write in your journal today, did you?”</p>
<p>“Uh... well, no.”</p>
<p>“Oh no, I'm not upset or anything. I've kept you away from your journal the entire day, so it's not your fault. I just thought about if you were to somehow forget today, then...”</p>
<p>“Forget <em>today</em>?” I laughed, “I certainly couldn't... forget...”</p>
<p>My voice trailed off as my mind flashed back to the many nights I had spent with Sachiko under the stars, and how for a while, such wonderful memories had disappeared from my mind. For the twenty-three years we spent together, there were probably many, many more nights that I had forgotten about, unrecorded in any journal, not as fondly remembered as the sultry night on a southern island or a fever dream night in a small apartment in the city, yet no less precious to Sachi and I and our life together.</p>
<p>How many nights like this with Mayuko was I doomed to forget? Especially if this was something we planned on doing for the foreseeable future? There was no doubt in my mind we still had better dates in our future, or that we'd have better sex sometime in the future. Aside from being the first “date” we had more-or-less announced to the rest of the sanatorium beforehand, there wasn't anything particularly stand-out about today in a big picture sort of way.</p>
<p>“Takako? Are you alright? Are you tired?”</p>
<p>No. I wasn't going to forget tonight, because I knew there wouldn't be any way for me to forget it overnight. As relatively uneventful as today and tonight was compared to the rest of my life, it was still one of the best I had ever spent here at the Kunugihara Clinic, and it was one I shared with Mayuko besides. Something told me, even if my forgetful self found a way to erase the memory of today overnight, before I could record it in my journal and in Sachi's old journal (if this didn't count as a “special happy event,” I don't know what would), Mayuko would be there to remember it for me.</p>
<p>She'd be there for me. She always has been, right from the beginning.</p>
<p>“Takako?”</p>
<p>Mayuko's voice softly called.</p>
<p>“Oh, no, I'm fine. Just... thinking about stuff.”</p>
<p>“Mmm, okay. You're usually more gung-ho about stuff like this than I am, but if you're not too tired-”</p>
<p>“I'm not! R-really! A bit achy, a bit melancholic, but I'm up and raring to go!”</p>
<p>“The breathy way you're speaking right now seems to suggest otherwise.”</p>
<p>“Okay, I'm a little tired, but... I mean, I'm not so tired as to be completely unable to make my lover feel good.”</p>
<p>“Well, just don't overexert yourself, okay? I'm still your nurse, so I'd feel terrible if, you know, you got sick or something because of me. Anyway, I'm coming out now. Just kinda side-step over here so I can hand you the bag.”</p>
<p>I did as I was told and stepped into the kitchen with the gift bag in hand as Mayuko slipped behind me. In the unlit kitchen, I pulled out the lingerie I had picked for myself, a shear, form-fitting nightgown type with just a touch more fabric around the breast and crotch areas to where it wasn't completely transparent. It wasn't exactly the same as the lingerie I used to wear in my early 20s. Only god and maybe Sachiko knew where that old thing went, but this somewhat cheaper-feeling negligee bore enough of a resemblance to make me feel nostalgic. Mayuko seemed to like it, too, which was the most important thing of course.</p>
<p>As I slipped out of my clothes and into the gown, I eyed the sink next to me and the paper cups next to it. Thinking for a moment, I poured myself a half a cup of water from the tap and took a drink. While I hadn't been drinking this time, I had already fainted from dehydration once before, during one of our earliest episodes of physical intimacy. The experience scared and angered Mayuko so much, she couldn't bring herself to speak to me without crying or yelling violently at me for being such an idiot. Luckily, we managed to patch things up before the end of that cruise, so everyone else at the clinic had nothing to worry about.</p>
<p><em>Well, it's not like my bladder can't hold this little bit of water until the morning</em>, I thought to myself, staring blankly into my empty paper cup, when I suddenly noticed both sets of lights in the night duty room shut off. Tossing my cup, I carefully stepped into the room, now lit only by a sliver of moonlight shining from the one window, which lit up a faint spotlight on the futon and on Mayuko's silvery silhouetted form. I could barely make out where her frilled undergarments stopped and her smooth skin started, but it looked like she was already in the futon, arms crossed across her chest. She looked small, vulnerable, timid.</p>
<p>“S-sorry for turning off the lights while you were in there. I just thought it'd be kinda awkward if we just started with the lights on, because then one of us would have to eventually get up and turn them off and you're tired enough as it is, so-”</p>
<p>“No, this is fine. Perfect, even,” I said, carefully gliding across the room, feeling across the floor with my feet to make sure there wasn't anything to step on. It didn't take too long for me to make it to the futon and slip in. Watching how unsteadily I was moving, Mayuko guided my arms around her and slipped herself between my legs before wrapping me in her own embrace. The slight chill of her satin underwear contrasted nicely with the warmth and softness of her skin.</p>
<p>Mayuko's fingers traced the sides of my face, over my ears and nose and lips, before her hands pulled my face close to hers. I could feel our breathing quicken and synchronize, and our hearts beating through our pressed-together breasts. Mayuko's moonlit face, eyes half-opened with a faint smile, filled my vision. My other senses filled completely with Mayuko as she pulled me in for a long, deep kiss.</p>
<p>“Takako, I love you,” Mayuko sighed for a moment as her kisses slowly worked their way down my chin and to my collar bone, her voice repeating with a quiet, rising desperation as we felt our minds dissolve in tides of ecstasy, “Takako... I love you... Ta... ka<em>... ko...</em>"</p>
<p>As my fingers undid the straps of her undergarments and gently worked their way across every inch of her body, the rest of my body began pressing into every erogenous zone and sensitive spot in an attempt to become one with her, guided by gentle kisses and soft moans.</p>
<p>My eyes closed, feeling Mayuko's fingers and tongue conducting their own spread into my physical core, pushing us closer to one of what would end up being several shared climaxes.</p>
<p>Somewhere, at some point in the dark and thoughtless void of that night, my lips mouthed a silent "Thank You" to someone far, far away. The one whose love gave me this, every, and many more sweet memories to come. I had a feeling she could hear me, wherever she was.</p>
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